The Urgency of Two Readings Felt Acutely at Town Council Meeting

A tied vote broken by Mayor Lori Cockrell postponed a decision on the proposed closure of a portion of Church Street until the August 24 meeting. As Councilman Joshua Ingram pointed out, the public hearing had been closed; the August iteration of this issue will feature a vote without a public hearing, a fact worth knowing to anyone who might want to redirect their comments to public presentations. Those making public presentations are restricted from addressing the content of any public hearing on the meeting’s agenda, but any item without a public hearing is fair game.

The Town Council met for a regular meeting on July 27. Royal Examiner Photo Credits: Brenden McHugh

The Church Street proposal raised many questions and concerns among the council members. For Councilman Bruce Rappaport, the issues were straightforward: why is the closure so pressing, and why Church Street rather than Cloud Street or any of the others that run parallel? For Vice-Mayor Amber Veitenthal, the issues were complex. While she favors opening the kind of opportunities for pedestrians that the closure would afford, her primary concern is the adjacent businesses and how they will be affected. A point of clarification from Cockrell established that the street would remain Town property and could possibly be reopened at the Town’s discretion.

The mayor thanked Sofie Kerns for her patriotism in leading the gathering in the pledge of allegiance.

Pointing to the continuity between Church and Peyton Street and the availability of parking off Jackson that mirrors the parking on Peyton, Town Manager Joseph Petty did his best to provide context and clarity, but as the discussion progressed, it became clear that a return to two readings, where items are not decided by their appearance at the first regular meeting but rather the next one, might be advisable. As Veitenthal has argued, this would open a breathing space in which council members can do their own research after being informed by the public.

From the Royal Examiner’s perspective, it would also create space for press engagement. It often seems that items arrive at great speed and depart just as quickly. The development of content for the community record would be enhanced by a protracted period of deliberation. It would also give the citizenry a sense of where their public leaders stand, thereby establishing a stronger foundation for civic dialogue between citizens and leaders. That transparency might alleviate the feeling that these items are flying by without meaningful civic engagement.

Appellant Hyo Bang asked the council to overrule a decision of the Board of Architectural Review.

The council also voted for a new ordinance pertaining to special events held on Town streets and property, in which a word from Veitenthal clarified that the Town is currently subsidizing these events and that any increase in fees offsets that cost, by no means making a profit. Also, the owner of a historic home appealed a Board of Architectural Review ruling that denied a certificate of appropriateness for vinyl windows rather than wood. If the council upholds the BAR ruling at the council’s meeting of August 24, the appellant seeks permission to install wood on front windows while maintaining vinyl on the side and back.

Reports were made, with Petty noting that the meeting on August 24th will be held at Town Hall due to maintenance scheduled for the government center. The council then moved to convene a closed meeting.